Documentaries

Ice Bridge • Farthest North Films • Moore Foundation

This title contains essential material to understand the economic dynamics which help to shape the consumer marketplace as well as the engines of international propaganda through the use of examples, history, humor, and interviews.
2003

When pioneering environmentalist Rachel Carson published 'Silent Spring' in 1962, the backlash from her critics thrust her into the center of a political maelstrom. Despite her private persona, her convictions about the risks posed by chemical pesticides forced her into the role of controversial public figure. Using many of Miss Carson's own words, actress Kaiulani Lee embodies this extraordinary woman in a documentary style film which depicts Carson in the final year of her life. Struggling with cancer, Carson recounts with both humor and anger the attacks by the chemical industry, the government and the press as she focuses her limited energy to get her message to Congress and the American people. — NYU: click image for film

This is a film about Rachel Carson, the person who is credited with starting the modern environmental movement in the United States with her book, Silent Spring.

Bidder 70, shares the story of Tim DeChristopher blocking an illegal Utah Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Oil and Gas lease auction, through years of postponed trails, ongoing organizing work, and the trial. The film concludes with his sentencing and being immediately removed from the court. For his civil disobedience, Tim was sentenced to two years in federal prison. He was released on April 21, 2013, after being incarcerated for 21 months.

The Return of The Cuyahoga "The Heartbreaking Yet Hopeful Story of a River, Once So Polluted It Caught Fire, And The Committed People Who Brought The River Back To Life" — NYU: click image for film

The Return of the Cuyahoga is a one-hour documentary about the death and rebirth of one of America’s most emblematic waterways. In its history, we see the end of the American frontier, the growth of industry, the scourge of pollution, and the advent of a political movement that sought to end pollution.

Global Weirding with Katharine Hayhoe and Richard Alley’s Earth: an operator’s manual shareable informative video series.

Most of the documentaries on this page are free; others may require a subscription.

A number of other docs are in weekly homework assignments and will usually be linked to free versions of the films. NYU students should use this opportunity to take advantage of the academic license with Kanopy Films to see more documentaries and their growing library of “free” (comes with your tuition!) titles.

Trailer:

“The Unchained Goddess” Frank Capra for Bell Laboratories Science Hour, 1958

From the script:
Dr. Frank C. Baxter: “…extremely dangerous questions. Because with our present knowledge we have no idea what would happen. Even now, man may be unwittingly changing the world’s climate through the waste products of his civilization. Due to our release through factories and automobiles every year of more than 6 billion tons of carbon dioxide, which helps air absorb heat from the sun, our atmosphere seems to be getting warmer.”
Clip 1:55

Richard Carlson: “This is bad?”
Dr. Frank C. Baxter: “Well, it’s been calculated a few degrees rise in the earth’s temperature would melt the polar ice caps. And if this happens, an inland sea would fill a good portion of the Mississippi valley. Tourists in glass bottom boats would be viewing the drowned towers of Miami through 150 feet of tropical water. For in weather, were not only dealing with forces of a far greater variety than even the atomic physicist encounters, but with life itself.”

Full hour program: